Cross‑border Ebola outbreak involving Bundibugyo ^{CEFR B1}

The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May after two confirmed cases in Kampala and signs of cross‑border spread. The virus has been identified as the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain.

As of 16 May WHO reported eight laboratory‑confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province in the DRC. Two travellers from the DRC tested positive in Kampala; one was a 59‑year‑old Congolese man who died on 14 May at a private hospital. A second case in Kampala appears unrelated to the first.

The first suspected case began with a health worker in Bunia on 24 April, but Ebola was not confirmed until 15 May. Initial Xpert tests were negative, and genomic sequencing at the DRC’s National Institute of Biomedical Research identified Bundibugyo. WHO warns the outbreak may be larger than reported because of high positivity in early samples and clusters of community deaths.

Uganda has activated national emergency response teams, opened screening at official and unofficial entry points, set up a mobile lab and uses an electronic alert system. Contact tracers have identified 103 contacts who are being followed daily for 21 days. The president postponed the 3 June Martyrs Day celebration to protect lives while keeping the border open.